Flavored Tape For A Wild Bird/Animal Call

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a flavored diaphragm-type animal call useful for mimicking the call of a wild animal. The call has a sound-producing unit with a vibratable membrane made of a synthetic material and a flavored unit that releases a flavored taste when the call is held in the mouth of the user. The flavored unit is an adhesive coated fabric tape which is substantially flat and attachable to the sound-producing unit. The adhesive coated fabric tape can be provided in a variety of flavorings. Additionally, the flavored unit is sculptable, i.e., it can be trimmed by the user to give the call a desired overall size and shape. Also disclosed are methods for flavoring the adhesive coated fabric tape.

The present application claims the benefit of prior filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 61/174,241 filed 30 Apr. 2009, to which the present application is a regular U.S. national application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of devices for mimicking the call of a bird or mammal. Specifically, the invention relates to diaphragm-type wild bird and animal calls that are held and operated inside the user's mouth. More specifically, the invention relates to a flavored tape for a diaphragm-type call held and operated inside the user's mouth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since the beginning of mankind, hunting has been an activity for survival, and more recently sport. To help facilitate the drawing in of game, hunters mimic an animal's characteristic sounds. This may be accomplished by the hunter's vocalizations or a device to imitate the animal's sounds, a call.

For example, a turkey call may be a hand-held device such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,094. There are various other types of game calls including calls which the user inserts into the mouth as exemplified by U.S. Patent Application 2004/0209541. The user blows across the call thereby mimicking the sound of an animal or bird and are used for several hours in this way.

Many of these calls have an outer tape covering which contacts the roof of the mouth for attachment and is of an unpleasant taste to the user. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a more palatable experience of using the game call by covering the call with a flavored tape. Further, this tape may be sculptable in order to fit the contours of the roof of the user's mouth thereby providing a more comfortable using experience.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a flavored tape for a diaphragm-type animal call useful for mimicking the call of certain wild birds and mammals. In a preferred embodiment, the present animal call is especially useful as a wild bird call, and particularly as a wild turkey call. It is intended that the present call tape is flavored to make it more pleasant to be continuously held in the mouth of a user.

The present animal call has a sound-producing unit in combination with a sculptable flavored unit. The sound-producing unit has a vibratable membrane composed of a synthetic material. The membrane is caused to vibrate by a user when held in the user's mouth. The sculptable flavored unit is substantially flat and is attachable to the sound-producing unit. The flavoring is released when the call is held in the user's mouth. The flavored unit is sculptable by trimming it (e.g., with a pair of scissors) to a shape desired by the user to make the call comfortable and/or optimally effective in the user's mouth. The sound-producing unit and the sculptable flavored unit in combination are adapted to be held and operated in the mouth of a user to mimic a call of an animal. The animal call is then placed in a person's mouth, and when the user blows air over the diaphragm causing it to vibrate, a sound is generated that mimics the natural call of a wild bird or other animal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a flavored bird/mammal call of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic representation of an alternative means of applying the flavored unit on a bird/mammal call of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an exemplary sculptable flavored unit of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram outlining steps for producing a sculptable flavored unit using a dry blend of flavorings.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram outlining steps for producing a sculptable flavored unit using a moist blend of flavorings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, the details of preferred embodiments of the present invention are graphically and schematically illustrated. Like elements in the drawings may be represented by like numbers, and similar elements may be represented by like numbers with a different lower case letter suffix.

The present invention is a flavored diaphragm-type animal call 10. The animal call is useful for mimicking the call or cry of certain types of animals in the wild, especially certain wild birds. As shown in FIG. 1, the present flavored animal call 10 has two main components: a sound-producing portion or unit 60, and a flavored unit 20. The sound producing unit 60 and the flavored unit 20 in combination are adapted to be held and operated in the mouth of a user to mimic a call of an animal. The flavored feature of the present animal call 10 is intended to make extended use of the call 10 more palatable for a user.

The sound-producing unit 60 has a vibratable membrane 62 held in a frame 64. In a preferred embodiment, the membrane 62 is composed of a synthetic material.

The flavored unit 20 is substantially flat and is attachable to the sound-producing unit 60. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, the flavored unit 20 is sculptable. The intent of the sculptable feature of the flavored unit 20 is to allow the perimeter edge 66 of the flavored unit 20 to be trimmed (sculpted) to a size and shape by a user to make the overall call 10 fit comfortably and be efficient to operate in the user's mouth. In a preferred embodiment, the sculptable flavored unit 20 is an adhesive coated tape 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a pre-cut sculptable flavored unit 12 that is a fabric tape 12 with an adhesive coating 68 on one side, and the adhesive coating 68 being covered with a peel-away protective backing 70. In this embodiment, the flavored unit 20 is pre-scored to provide an initial shape for the call 10 when applied to the sound-producing unit 60. After application of a flavored unit 20 to the sound-producing unit 60, the perimeter of the flavored unit 20 is trimmed (e.g., with scissors) to a desired shape by the user.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pre-cut unit 26 is a rectangular piece of fabric tape 12 of a strong, cotton cloth-type tape, such as gaffer's tape. Other types of tape suitable for practice in the present invention are tape known to those of skill in the art. The tape 12 has a backing piece 70 that covers the adhesive (sticky) side 68 of the tape (12). The top side 16 of the tape 12 is non-sticky. In the center of the pre-cut tape 12 is a pre-cut removable oblong 72 adapted to permit the membrane 62 to be properly exposed when the flavored unit 20 is applied to the sound-producing unit 60. FIG. 2 shows an alternative means of applying-the flavored unit 20 on a bird/mammal call.

In a preferred embodiment, the flavored unit 20 is flavored by placing pre-cut the fabric tape pieces 12 in a vacuum sealed, plastic bag or other sealing device with a dry flavoring, such as a tea bag or tobacco. After allowing an appropriate amount of time for the absorption of the flavoring by the pre-cut tape 12 to occur, the tape 12 is removed and ready to be used with the wild bird or animal call 10. In the embodiment illustrated, the flavored diaphragm-type animal call 10 is operable by the user to mimic the call of a wild turkey.

A preferred method as illustrated in FIG. 4 shows preparing the flavored unit 20 in a series of steps 32, 34, 36 and 38. In step 32, the pre-cut fabric tape pieces are placed with the dry mixture in an air tight sealing container. The sealing container is then evacuated of air 34. After allowing an appropriate amount of time 36, the pre-cut tape piece 12 is removed from the sealing container and packaged for later use 38.

In another preferred method as illustrated in FIG. 5 shows preparing the flavored unit 20 in a series of steps 42, 44, 46 and 48. In step 42, the pre-cut fabric tape pieces are placed with the moist mixture in an air tight sealing container. The sealing container is then evacuated of air 44. After allowing an appropriate amount of time 46, the pre-cut tape piece 12 is removed from the sealing container and packaged for later use 48.

In another embodiment, the flavored unit 20 is flavored by placing pre-cut the fabric tape pieces 12 in a vacuum sealed plastic bag or other sealing device with a moistened flavoring, such as tea leaves or tobacco hydrated with water. After allowing an appropriate amount of time for the absorption of the flavoring by the pre-cut tape 12 to occur, the tape 12 is removed and ready to be used with the wild bird or animal call 10. In the embodiment illustrated, the flavored diaphragm-type animal call 10 is operable by the user to mimic the call of a wild turkey.

In yet another embodiment, the adhesive (sticky) side 14 of the tape 12 may be pulled back from the backing piece 70 and a liquid flavoring oil is directly applied to the adhesive (sticky) side 14 of the tape 12. The adhesive (sticky) side 14 of the tape 12 is then replaced to the backing piece and ready for use. The preferred liquid flavoring oil is natural oil such as peppermint, but any flavored oil may be used.

While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the Scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of one or another preferred embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible, which would be obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, and not just by the embodiments. 

1. A flavored diaphragm-type animal call (10) comprising: a sound-producing unit (60) having a vibratable membrane (62) composed of a synthetic material; a sculptable flavored unit (20), the flavored unit (20) being substantially flat and attachable to the sound-producing unit (60); and the sound-producing unit (60) and sculptable flavored unit (20) in combination being adapted to be held and operated in the mouth of a user to mimic a call of an animal.
 2. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call (10) of claim 1, wherein the sound-producing unit (60) and sculptable flavored unit (20) combination is operable by the user to mimic a call of a bird.
 3. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call (10) of claim 1, wherein the sound-producing unit (60) and sculptable flavored unit (20) combination is operable by the user to mimic a call of a turkey.
 4. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call (10) of claim 1, wherein the sound-producing unit (60) and sculptable flavored unit (20) combination is operable by the user to mimic a call of a coyote.
 5. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call (10) of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit (20) is an adhesive coated fabric tape (12) and is attachable to the sound-producing unit (60).
 6. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call (10) of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit (20) is sculptable by the user trimming away an outer perimeter (66) of the sculptable flavored unit (20) to provide the animal call (10) with a shape adapted to hold the animal call (10) in the user's mouth.
 7. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit is flavored with at least one flavoring selected from the group of dry flavorings consisting of: a tea flavoring; a tobacco flavoring.
 8. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit is flavored with at least one flavoring selected from the group of dry flavorings and placed in a vacuum sealed container.
 9. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit is flavored with at least one flavoring selected from the group of moist flavorings consisting of: a tea flavoring; a tobacco flavoring.
 10. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit is flavored with at least one flavoring selected from the group of moist flavorings and placed in a vacuum sealed container.
 11. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit is flavored with an oil flavoring.
 12. The flavored diaphragm-type animal call of claim 1, wherein the sculptable flavored unit is flavored with a natural oil flavoring. 